Can't Get Through to the IRS and Payment Plan Balance Not Updating Despite Payments

This situation is definitely frustrating but not uncommon unfortunately. The IRS has been dealing with significant backlogs and system delays that can affect how quickly your payments are applied to your account balance. First, make sure you're checking your balance through the official IRS online account portal rather than just looking at payment confirmations. Sometimes the online system updates more quickly than paper statements or other methods. As for getting through to the IRS, early morning calls (right when they open at 7am) tend to have shorter wait times, especially on Tuesdays-Thursdays. Mondays and days after holidays are typically the worst. Since you're on the east coast, try calling right at 7am ET. Also, mid-month tends to be less busy than beginning or end of month. Keep documentation of all your payments - confirmations, canceled checks, bank statements showing the withdrawals. This will be crucial if you need to prove your payment history later. If you made payments electronically, print or save the confirmation numbers.

After spending literal WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about a similar issue with my payment plan, I finally discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much frustration. I was in the exact same boat - made payments that weren't showing up on my balance. What I liked is that you can upload your payment confirmations and IRS notices, and their system analyzes everything to tell you exactly what's happening with your account. In my case, they identified that my payments were being applied to penalties first rather than the principal balance, which is why it seemed like nothing was changing. They also have this feature that helps you prepare exactly what to say when you do get through to the IRS, with all the right account codes and terminology so the IRS rep immediately knows what you're talking about. It made my call actually productive when I finally got through!

I was skeptical about using taxr.ai when I first saw it mentioned here, but after three more failed attempts to reach the IRS (including one 3-hour hold that ended with a disconnection), I decided to give it a try. Best decision I could have made! Uploaded my payment confirmations and account notices, and within a day I had a complete analysis explaining exactly what was happening. Turns out my payments were being applied to a different tax year than I thought! No wonder my balance wasn't changing. The step-by-step call script they provided made a huge difference when I finally got through to someone at the IRS. The representative actually commented on how prepared I was with all the right information. Got my issue resolved in one call after months of frustration. Wish I'd tried it sooner!

If your main issue is just getting through to someone at the IRS, you absolutely need to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the EXACT same situation - making payments that weren't showing up on my balance and couldn't get anyone on the phone. I was super skeptical at first, but after watching their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c), I decided to give it a shot. They basically wait on hold FOR YOU with the IRS, and then call you when they have an actual human on the line. I went from spending hours on hold to having a real IRS agent on the phone in about 20 minutes. When I finally spoke to someone, they explained that there was a processing error with my payment plan and fixed it right on the call. All my payments suddenly showed up correctly applied to my balance. Such a relief after months of stress!

I'm coming back to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment yesterday, I decided to try Claimyr anyway out of sheer desperation. My payment plan issues were keeping me up at night, and I'd already wasted countless hours on hold. I'm genuinely shocked to report that it actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back in about 45 minutes, and there was an actual IRS agent on the line! I almost fell out of my chair. Got my payment plan issues sorted out in one call - turns out there was a coding error on my account that was preventing payments from being properly applied. For anyone struggling like I was - I've never been so happy to be wrong. The mental relief of having this fixed after months of stress is indescribable. Sorry for doubting!

Have you tried calling the specific IRS payment plan hotline instead of the general number? The dedicated line for installment agreements is sometimes (slightly) less busy. The number should be on your payment plan confirmation. Also, IRS payment systems are notoriously slow to update. I've had payments take 4-6 weeks to actually reflect on my balance, even though they were processed from my bank right away. Double-check when you made the payments - if they're recent, it might just be normal lag time.

I went through this EXACT issue last year. What worked for me was sending a certified letter to the IRS with copies of all my payment confirmations. It seems archaic, but I got a response within 3 weeks and they adjusted my account. Send it to the address on your payment plan documents and make sure to include your taxpayer ID, full name, and contact info. Dealing with the IRS through mail is sometimes faster than phone these days, as crazy as that sounds lol.

I completely understand your frustration - dealing with IRS payment plan issues is incredibly stressful, especially when you're making payments faithfully but can't get answers about why your balance isn't updating. One thing that helped me was creating a detailed spreadsheet tracking every payment I made, including dates, amounts, confirmation numbers, and the method of payment. This became invaluable when I finally got through to someone because I could reference exactly what happened when. Also, have you tried accessing your IRS online account? Sometimes the balance updates there before it shows up on paper statements or other places. Go to irs.gov and create an account if you haven't already - it might give you more current information about how your payments are being applied. The early morning calling strategy that others mentioned really does work. I had success calling right at 7 AM on a Wednesday. Also, don't give up if you get disconnected - I know it's maddening, but persistence is key with the IRS unfortunately. Keep all your documentation organized and ready to go. When you do get through, you'll want to have everything at your fingertips so you can make the most of that call. Hang in there - this will get resolved!

This is such a common and frustrating issue - you're definitely not alone in dealing with this! I went through something very similar last year where payments weren't reflecting properly on my balance. One thing that really helped me was calling the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line (if you have a tax professional who can call on your behalf) or trying the automated payment system first to get your current balance before calling the main line. Sometimes the automated system has more up-to-date information than what shows online. Also, make sure you're making note of exactly which tax year and type of tax your payments are being applied to. I discovered that some of my payments were being automatically applied to a different tax year than my payment plan, which explained why my balance wasn't changing as expected. Document absolutely everything - dates, times you called, confirmation numbers, and even the names of representatives if you do get through. The IRS keeps detailed records, but having your own backup documentation has saved me multiple times. The system delays are real and unfortunately getting worse. Stay persistent with the early morning calls, and consider the certified letter approach someone mentioned - I've heard that can actually be faster than phone calls for payment application issues like this.

I feel your pain on this issue! I went through almost the exact same situation about 6 months ago. What finally worked for me was a combination of strategies others have mentioned here. First, definitely try calling the dedicated installment agreement line rather than the main IRS number - it's usually printed on your payment plan documentation. The wait times are still brutal, but slightly better than the general line. Second, when you do get through, ask the representative to walk through your account payment by payment. In my case, I discovered that two of my payments had been applied to the wrong tax period, and one payment was sitting in a "suspense account" because of a minor discrepancy in how my name was entered. The suspense account thing is apparently pretty common - if there's any small difference between how your name appears on your payment versus your tax return, the payment can get stuck there until someone manually fixes it. Also, if you haven't already, request a payment history transcript (Form 4506-T) which will show exactly how each payment was applied. You can request this online or by phone, and it often reveals issues that aren't obvious from just looking at your balance. Don't give up - these payment application issues are frustrating but they are fixable once you get the right person to look at your account!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare - the combination of payment plan balance issues and being unable to reach anyone at the IRS is absolutely maddening! I went through something very similar earlier this year. One strategy that finally worked for me was calling the IRS at exactly 7:00 AM Eastern on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Set multiple alarms and be ready to dial the second they open. The hold times are still long, but I found Tuesday/Wednesday mornings to be the most successful for actually getting through. While you're waiting to connect, I'd strongly recommend gathering all your documentation now: - Bank statements showing the withdrawn payments - Any confirmation numbers from online payments - Your original payment plan agreement - Screenshots of your current IRS online account balance When you do get through, immediately ask them to check if any of your payments are sitting in a "suspense account" - this happens when there are small discrepancies in how your name appears on payments versus your tax return. It's more common than you'd think and could explain why your balance isn't updating. Also ask for a complete payment history breakdown by tax year. Sometimes payments get applied to different tax years than expected, which would explain why your payment plan balance looks unchanged. Don't lose hope! These issues are frustrating but they are absolutely resolvable once you get the right person to dig into your account. Keep trying with those early morning calls - you WILL get through eventually!

I completely sympathize with your situation - the IRS payment plan balance update delays combined with their impossible phone system creates such unnecessary stress and anxiety. You're definitely not alone in dealing with this frustrating combination of issues. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like there are several potential explanations for why your $1,350 in payments aren't showing up on your balance. The most common seems to be payments getting applied to penalties/interest first rather than principal, payments being applied to the wrong tax year, or payments sitting in a "suspense account" due to name discrepancies. For getting through on the phone, I'd definitely try the early morning strategy everyone's recommending - calling right at 7 AM Eastern on Tuesday or Wednesday seems to be the most successful approach. Have all your payment confirmations, dates, and account numbers ready before you call. One additional suggestion: if you continue having issues getting through by phone, consider reaching out to your local Taxpayer Advocate Service office. They're specifically designed to help when normal IRS channels aren't working and you're experiencing significant hardship. They can often resolve payment application issues that get stuck in the regular system. The most important thing is to keep detailed records of everything - all your payment confirmations, call attempts, and any correspondence. This documentation will be crucial for proving your payment history if needed. Don't give up - these issues are frustrating but they do get resolved with persistence!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help - have you checked if your payments are being applied to the correct Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number? I had a similar issue last year where my balance wasn't updating despite consistent payments. After finally getting through to the IRS (took about 6 attempts using the 7 AM Tuesday strategy everyone mentioned), I discovered that one digit in my SSN had been entered incorrectly when my payment plan was set up. This caused several of my payments to go into limbo. The IRS representative was able to correct the SSN discrepancy and immediately apply all my "missing" payments to the correct account. My balance dropped by over $2,000 that day! It was such a relief after months of stress. When you do get through, ask them to verify that all your identifying information matches exactly between your payment plan, your tax return, and how you're submitting payments. Even small differences can cause payments to get stuck in processing. Also, don't feel bad about being frustrated with their phone system - I think we've all been there. The hold times and disconnections are absolutely maddening, but persistence really does pay off. Keep trying those early morning calls and you'll eventually get someone who can sort this out for you!

I'm going through almost the exact same nightmare right now! Been making payments faithfully for 4 months and my balance shows zero change. The phone situation is absolutely maddening - I've probably spent 15+ hours on hold total just to get disconnected every single time. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful though. I had no idea about things like suspense accounts, payments being applied to penalties first, or SSN discrepancies causing issues. These are all specific things I never would have thought to ask about. I'm going to try the Tuesday 7 AM Eastern strategy this week with all my documentation organized beforehand. It's somewhat comforting (and also frustrating) to know this is such a common issue, but at least it means there are proven solutions. Has anyone had success with the IRS online appointment scheduler? I noticed they have virtual appointments available for some issues, though I'm not sure if payment plan problems qualify. Might be worth checking as an alternative to the phone nightmare. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has given me actual hope that this will get resolved instead of just feeling completely helpless!

I've been dealing with IRS payment issues myself, and one thing that really helped was requesting a complete account transcript (Form 4506-T) before even trying to call. This shows exactly how every payment was processed and applied, which gives you concrete evidence to discuss when you do get through. In my case, I discovered that three of my payments had been applied to estimated tax penalties from a previous year instead of my current payment plan. Without that transcript, I never would have known to ask about it specifically. Also, try calling the Practitioner Priority Service line if you have a tax professional who can call on your behalf - the wait times are often shorter. If you don't have a tax pro, some enrolled agents will make calls for a reasonable fee, which might be worth it given how much time you're spending on hold. One more tip: if you do get disconnected after a long hold, immediately call back. Sometimes you'll get placed higher in the queue if the system recognizes you were recently disconnected. It's not guaranteed, but I've had it work a couple times. The whole situation is incredibly frustrating, but don't lose hope! Every person I know who's dealt with this eventually got it resolved once they found the right person to dig into their account properly.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's absolutely maddening when you're doing everything right by making your payments faithfully, but the system just isn't reflecting it properly. The combination of unresponsive phone lines and mysterious balance issues creates such unnecessary stress! After reading through everyone's experiences here, it seems like there are several common culprits for payment plan balance issues: payments being applied to penalties/interest first instead of principal, payments going to the wrong tax year, SSN or name discrepancies causing payments to sit in "suspense accounts," or simple processing delays that can take 6-8 weeks. For getting through by phone, the Tuesday/Wednesday 7 AM Eastern strategy really seems to be the most successful approach based on what others have shared. I'd also recommend having a specific checklist ready: ask them to verify your SSN matches exactly, check if any payments are in suspense, get a breakdown of how payments were applied (principal vs penalties vs interest), and confirm which tax year each payment was applied to. The Form 4506-T transcript request that someone mentioned is brilliant - having that payment history documentation before you call will give you concrete evidence to work with instead of just describing the problem. Don't give up! This is clearly a widespread issue, but everyone who's persisted has eventually gotten it resolved. Your $1,350 in payments are in the system somewhere - it's just a matter of getting the right person to track them down and apply them correctly to your account.